Tentative schedule:
JV Boys – 10AM
JV Girls – 10:45AM
JH Boys – 11:30AM
JH Girls – 12:15PM
AWARDS at 1PM – top ten in all 4 races.
Category Archives: News
Items for the News Archive — usually front page items go here, especially once no longer on front page
December 4th Update
We welcomed the return of cooler weather and a couple fresh dustings of snow this past after a mild Thanksgiving weekend. The new snow and subsequent grooming made for nice skiing and fat biking this past weekend. As always, great to see everyone out skiing and riding and thanks again for the trail pass purchases. The snow has been a bright spot after the fire on October 10th.
Late last spring we purchased a 5 foot Yellowstone Track groomer, replacing one we sold during the COVID recovery years. This groomer is especially nice for early season grooming, in particular track setting, and trail passes help fund this purchase. Thank you.
With the good early season conditions, we have made the decision to host a high school meet this coming Tuesday, December 6th. We always enjoy the energy and enthusiasm of the meets and appreciate the commitment of the coaches and support staff to make teams “glide”. Nordic skiing is such a complex sport from waxing, weather, equipment and two different techniques. We are fortunate to be able to host a meet so early, especially considering a classic course will be set! Please note to any spectators, we ask everyone to stay clear of the lodge site for everyone’s safety. Thank you. We will be hosting a few more meets this season concluding with the Section 8 Nordic Ski Championships early February. More information on the meets will be posted as it comes available.
On a family related news, Jim and Mary were able to visit their new great grandson Casper who was born on November 20th to their grandson Marco and his wife Rachel who live in International Falls. This is Jim and Mary’s second great grandchild with grandson Jake having a girl Eira on March 14th 2022 with his wife Anna whom live in Duluth.
We’ve had people inquiry if the trails will be open over the Holidays. Yes, we will be open every day for day skiing every day there is skiable snow until the Spring. The Brant cabin remains open for day users to use restrooms, have a BYOL etc. Its been nice seeing some of our long time guests use this service. We have talked about the possibility of opening up some of the cabins later this winter (mid January to mid February) for lodging only, no meal service, and will post in future updates when we make a decision.
Last week Bruce and Bjorn Adelsman of skinnyski.com was here to resurrect a new “grounds” cam that was fastened to the lodge that was lost in the fire. Obviously it is not in the same location but does give a nice view of the existing cabins and a great view of the trails including action on race meets. Click here to view the Maplelag public webcams We gave a shout out to Bruce in a previous report and thank him again for making a special trip to help dial in our computer network in our new office location on site.
Lastly and far from least, we want to thank everyone again for all the emails, messages, letters of support and encouragement and donations whether on GoFundMe, trail passes or other means. We are extremely grateful for the acts of kindness and all the prayers.
Lodge clean up has going been slow as far as removal due to the Goat Ranch rd being snow and ice covered making it not possible for certain equipment to come in. However, Jason Adams and crew have done an great job sorting through the rubble and separating material to eventually be hauled away while saving lumber, timbers and other items not burned such as signs, collectibles etc.
Recently we had a conversation with a friend that went through some rough times and suggested we read the A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis. This book has been very helpful to us and recommend to anyone that is recovering from the pain of loss.
November 25th Fire Update
The past week has been significant as we were able to open the trails on November 18th after a week of daily snowfall that resulted in nearly a foot of snow. Subsequent grooming and probably the most track set we’ve had going into Thanksgiving made for one of the best early seasons ever. It’s been great seeing everyone out on the trails and appreciate all the season passes that have been purchased. This past week we also started going through the remains of the fire that destroyed the main lodge on October 10th, 2022.
Starting this weekend, November 26th, we will have the Brant cabin for a warming area for day us. There are bathrooms, a living area with table to have snacks and the bedroom on the main level can be used for changing in addition to the bathrooms. Limited parking across from the Brant is available with immediate trail access. There is also parking in the first parking lot with porta potties.
Despite consecutive days of above freezing temps, the trails have remained open. Best skiing conditions found on Sukkerbusk for classic skiing and Skaters Waltz for skate skiing. Full and daily trail reports on the trail report page.
This past week we started cleaning up the lodge site after the fire on October 10th, 2022. One of the builders of the lodge along with his crew, is sorting through the rubble, pulling out any lumber and timbers that did not burn that we had in inventory and also discovering a few signs that are salvageable.
We hope to clear all the debris before the New Year. Once we clear the site, we anticipate better vision for the future.
Maplelag Fire Update November 9th
Hard to believe it has been a month since the fire on October 10th. The days have blended together somewhat. Change is evident though as we are seeing colder nights resulting in frosty mornings and frozen ponds and lingering flakes of snow. There also has been plenty of wind, bringing down some deadfall but we were able to sneak in a few more fall grooming sessions before potential snow forecasted the next few days. Trails are in good shape going into winter and ready for snow!
We continue to process deposit refunds and thank everyone with their patience as we manage this task. With our computers being lost in the fire, we had to restore backups from external sources (thankfully we had our reservation system backed up) and are close to being up and running with our reservation program. Deposit refunds, if requested, will be processed as quickly as possible as time and space allows. (Full update on deposits and reservations on the October 24th update)
With that said, we want to thank Bruce Adelsman of Skinnyski.com for his incredible help getting our networks up and running. Bruce as done so much for Maplelag from webcams, weather station, upgrading the WiFi in the main lodge and so much behind the tech scenes. We could not be where we are without him. Our relationship goes back nearly 30 years and has helped us through with so much more than just tech support. Thank you again Bruce. If you are a Nordic skier and a visiter to his site, please consider becoming a member.
We also want to thank everyone who voted for Maplelag in the Star Tribune “Minnesota’s Best” contest. We are very humbled and always honored to serve our amazing guests. The award is really about or “Gold” level staff, guests and service people. We are sad that we will not be able to serve the guests that made new reservations based of this announcement.
Probably the most common question we have fielded these past weeks is if we are going to rebuild. As mentioned in the last posts are many complex factors to sort out before we make a decision on rebuilding. In all reality, it might not be decided until after the New Year. If we know more, we will certainly update. Making a decision will take some time and many factors, including ones beyond our control. We want to make sure it is the right decision for us, as we always want our guests to have the best experience possible. The first step is to have the site cleaned up. This will have to be done by a contracted professional company for the safety of everyone and insurance purposes.
We are still trying to select a date for the appreciation dinner for the first responders and firefighters. With deer hunting and Thanksgiving this month, finding a date is difficult but hope to before the next round of Holidays.
Thanks again for all the support of prayers, thoughts, good vibes, financial gifts and our amazing local community of various items. We are at a loss of words and deeply touched.
Winter Operating Plans 2022/23
Due to a fire that destroyed the main lodge on October 10th, 2022, we will not be able to offer lodging and meals for the winter season 2022-2023.
The trails will be open for day use for cross country skiing, fat biking and snowshoeing until April 1st, weather permitting. Trail passes may be purchased online. No ski rentals available.
The Brant cabin available as a warming house. Sitting area with tables and restrooms. Trail passes may be purchased online. No ski rentals available.